Group sues over St. Peters levee

St. Louis, MO – A St. Louis-based conservation group has filed another lawsuit over a development in the floodplains in St. Peters.

The Great Rivers Habitat Alliance has been battling the construction of the Premier 370 Business Park since it was proposed in 2000. This latest lawsuit asks a court to reverse a change made to the floodplain map by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that allows buildings at the site to buy federal flood insurance.

Attorney Bruce Morrison says the levee being built to protect the project doesn't provide a mandated level of protection.

"FEMA has regulations relating to the design and construction of a levee, and FEMA should have to follow those requirements," he said.

Morrison says the construction problems make the area more prone to floods, putting more strain on the already cash-strapped federal program. He says the lawsuit is intended to be a pressure tactic.

"There is a realization by the businesses that are behind this levee that this levee is not sufficient to protect from the 100-year-flood," he said.

A FEMA spokeswoman says the agency does not comment on pending litigation.